Flyers goalie Dan Vladař to start Saturday after getting ‘a little banged up’ in Game 3
Rick Tocchet said there was no real concern that Vladař wouldn’t be available for Saturday's potential series clincher against the Penguins.
Dan Vladař will start for the Flyers in Game 4, Rick Tocchet confirmed Saturday morning.
Despite worries after making contact with Pittsburgh winger Bryan Rust in the net in the third period of Game 3, Tocchet said there was no real concern that Vladař wouldn’t be available for the potential series clincher against the Penguins.
“Not really,” Tocchet said. “The next day, talking to him and stuff, it was heading in the right direction.”
Trainers came out and spoke with Vladař on the ice after the collision, but he ultimately stayed in and finished the game. Vladař missed Thursday’s on-ice practice for maintenance and the team did not skate Friday.
» READ MORE: Dan Vladař has been the Flyers’ MVP all season long. He’s also far from your typical goalie.
“He was going to probably be off anyway, but he is a little banged up,” Tocchet said Thursday. “He feels better today. That’s basically all the information that we have.”
In three playoff games, Vladař has a .946 save percentage and 1.33 goals-against average, including one shutout in Game 2. Vladař skated in the starter’s net during Saturday’s morning skate and was the first goalie off the ice. He looked to be in good spirits and gave a first bump to the trainers on his way off.
The Flyers have the opportunity to complete a series sweep Saturday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena, which would be their first home playoff series victory since 2012.
Had Vladař not been able to go, Sam Ersson would have taken the crease. Ersson put up a .912 save percentage and a 1.99 goals-against average in nine starts after the Olympic break.
But the Flyers prefer to have Vladař, maybe the team MVP, on the ice for a critical game. Per Moneypuck, Vladař has saved the fourth-most goals above expected so far in the playoffs, allowing just four goals.
Breakaways
Tocchet said he didn’t expect to make any other lineup changes, so Emil Andrae is likely to remain out and Noah Juulsen will likely stay in. Cam York and Owen Tippett, who both missed Thursday’s practice for maintenance, were on the ice for morning skate and expect to play. ... Arturs Šilovs is expected to start for Pittsburgh in place of Stuart Skinner, who started each of the first three games. Šilovs put up an .888 save percentage and a 3.07 goals against average in 39 games played, 38 of them starts.
